Motor-vehicle.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

W. W. WAIN WRIGHT.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

which are made a character in question as embodies my res- WILLIAM w. WAINWRIGHT, 0F CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA. i

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March "I, 1907. Serial No. 861,089.

Patented April as, race.

Vehicles, of whichthe following is a specification.

. My present invention relates to that class of motor vehicles wherein the driving power is applied to both the front and the rear axles. aid invention consists in certain improvements in the construction and arrangement of parts embodied in such a vehicle, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, art hereof, and on which similar reference cliaracters indicate similar parts, Figure 1- is a side elevation of so much of the running gear of a motor vehicleof the cut invention, the position of thebody ereon being indicated by means of dotted lines; Fig. 2 a top or lan view of such a running gear; Fi 3 a etail vertical sectional view on an en arged scale, as seen when looking in the directionindicated by the arrows from the dotted line 3 3 in Figs.,2, 4, 5 and 6; Fig. 4 a detail front elevation of the arts shown in Fig. 3, as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 1 Fig. 5 a central vertical sectional view at the point indicated by the dotted line 5 5 in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 a to or plan View of the arts shown in Fig. 3, with a part of the shaft roken away better to show the steering gear;'-the tively thereto being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 7 a detail view as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 7 7 in Figs. 1 and 3, and Fig. 8 a detail elevationshowing the spring attachment partially shown in Fig. 4, but on a smaller scale. v

' In a motor vehicle of this character all the wheels are positively driven.

M present invention relates particularly to the means for drivin and. steering the front axle. Said axle and its attached parts may swing (as indicated in 2) about a vertical axis at the point of pin 21. This in 21 and its mate 22 support a shell 23 which forms a part of the front axle structure; or, rather, of the inclosing casing iirwh ch the front axle proper runs. This casing is comosition of the frame relaposed of two parts, as shown; and the structure is tubular at its ends and is exteriorly threaded and said ends are tapered slightly at the points where threaded. They are held together at these threaded points by suitable nuts 24 which are likewise slightly tapered. By means of these the two parts are drawn together very tightly, so as to make the inclosure liquid tight. Continuing each way from this central structure are tubes 25 which inclose the axle pro er, and extend between said structure and t e wheels.

The front axle propler is composed of two parts 31 and 32 whic aresleeved together. At the point where the tubular portion 32 terminates it bears a s cent thereto on the a e 31 is a similar spur car 34. Surrounding these two spur gears 1s a housing 35 which carries two pinions 36 and 37 one of which is in engagement with the spur gear 33 and the other of which is in en agement with the spur gear 34. As the en s of the axle advance and recede relatively to each other,\these gears operate as an equalizing connedtion between the two axle arts, com elling an equal number of rotations of sai two arts, generallys cakur gear 33, and adjain but permitting t em tomove wit relatively differing speeds, as the axle carrying them swings on its vertical pivot, during the operation of steering. I

The housing 35 embodies a bevel gear by which the whole structure is driven from a bevel inion 41, which is mounted on a shaft forme by a prolongation of the 21. Another bevel gear 42 on t 's same shaft engages with a evel pinion 43 on the main driving shaft 44. This driving shaft is ropelled from the engine shaft 45.

ecured to the structure 23 is a' segment ivot pin 51. A suitable worm gear 52 engages with this segment and isadapted to be operated by a pinion 53 on the same shaft therewith, and a corresponding bevel pinion 54' on an ordinary steering shaft 55. The screw shaft is mounted in suitable bearings 56 and 57 on w an arm of the main frame bracket which will now be described.

The pivot pins 21 and 22, and'the shaft 44,

' the worm shaft 50, and also a stud or pivot shaft 60 have their bearings in a main bracket 61. This bracket is connected by the stud shaft 60 through a cross head or front frame member 62 to the side bars 63 of the running gear frame or motor-carrying frame upon which the engine and other parts of the ve hicle are mounted. This bracket not only supports these various parts, but holds them strongl into the proper relative positions. Upon t e member 62 is also a suitable saddle or seat for the spring 64. The frame side bars 63 extend back to and connect with the casing 65 which surrounds the rear axle. Said casing 65, side bars 63 and front member 62, together with suitable cross bar's, constitute the motor-carrying frame of the vehicle, and this frame carries also the s rings 64 and 66, upon which the body of the vehicle is mounted. As will be noticed, the yoke 61 in which the shell or casing 23 is mounted, is pivotally connected to the member 62 of the frame, so that the varying positions of the wheels, as they ass over uneven surfaces, will have no twistmg effect on said frame, or on the driving mechanismthe axis of the pivotal connection being in' line with the axis of the driving shaft 44.

Having thus fully descrlbed In said invention, what I claim as new, an desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination, of a hollow steering axle-structure, a pair oft live shafts mounted in said structure and connected at their inner ends by a compensating structure, a drivin the ho low axle-structure and meshing with the compensating gear, a frame yoke pivotally mounted exterlorly upon the axle-structure on an axis at right angles to the axis of the axlestructure, a driving shaft j ournaled in said yoke, a pinion meshing with the drive ing pimon-structure, the axle-structurehaving a substantially horizontal opening er mitting the engagement of the driving s aft pinion'with the driving pinion-structure, and

means for swinging said axle-structure in the, yoke upon the pivotal connection there-- etwee 2. In a motor vehicle, the combination, of a hollow steering axle-structure, a pair of live I shafts mounted in said structure and connected at their inner ends by a compensating gear also mounted within. the structure, a driving pinion structure journaled within the hollow axle-structure and meshing with the compensating gear, a frame yoke pivotally mounted exteriorly upon the axlestructure on an axis at right angles to the axis of the axle-structure, a driving shaft journaled in said yoke, a pinion arranged within the axlestructure and meshin with the driving pinion structure, the arse-structure havlng a substantially horizontal opening permitting the engagement of-the drlving shaft pinion with the driving pinion structure, and means pinion structure journaled within .within the axle-structure,

see s for swinging said axle structure in the yoke upon the pivotal connection therebetween.

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination, of

a hollow axle structure having a pair of live shafts journaled therein, a compensating gear also mounted within said structure and connecting the inner ends of the live shafts, a

stud shaft mounted in said axle-structure at 4. The combination, in a j t inotonvehicle,'

with an axle and the gear-yfor', driving said axle, of a shell surroundingjthe same and com osed of two parts, the ends whereof whic are immediately adjacent to the axle being tapered slightly and exteriorlythreaded, and nuts upon said threaded portions, whereby by screwing u halves of said shell will gether.

5. In a motor vehicle, the combination, of a hollow axle-structure havingapair :of live shafts journaled therein, a compensating gear also mounted within saidstructure and connecting the inner ends of the liveshafts, a stud shaft mounted in said axle-structure at right angles to the, live shafts, a pair of connected pinions journal-ed on said stud one of said pinions meshing with the com ensating gear, a frame e forced tightly toyoke pivoted exterior y upon the axle-structure on an axis coincident with the axis of the stud,-a driving shaft journaled in said oke and projected through a substantially orizontal. slot into the axlestructure, a pinion carried .by-said shaftand meshing with the,

corresponding pinion journaled upon the stud, a segment carried by the axlestructure,

a Worm journaled upon the yoke andvmeshng with-sa d segment, and means for rotat- 1n saidworm.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this twenty-seventh day of February, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seven.

WILLIAM w. WAINWRIGHT. [1,. 3.]. Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD,

THOMAS W, MOMEANS.

said nuts the two 

